Apolis Global Citizen: The Uganda Project

Promoting "advocacy through industry", social enterprise Apolis equips and empowers people by offering them access to hands-on opportunity instead of just charity.

In addition to projects in Nepal and Bangladesh, the Uganda Project is making waves with its cotton initiative. Partnering with non-profit organization Invisible Children, Apolis is dedicated to rebuilding Uganda's cotton industry, which had been declining since the 1970s due to civil war in the north of the country.

Founded in 2010, the microeconomic program employs formerly displaced Ugandans to become stakeholders in rebuilding Uganda's once-strong cotton business. Invisible Children's philosophy is to integrate sustainable development into supply chains, bringing new meaning to corporate responsibility. The organic crops serve to nourish and cultivate the land, as well as its people.

Filson has also partnered with Apolis and Invisible Children, using cotton that was grown, milled, woven and dyed in Uganda for its fashionable briefcases and totes.